Gold concentrator

Abstract

A gold concentrator comprises a housing at the end of a sluice into which a quantity of sand, rock and gold particles is deposited. A screen on a portion of the sluice serves to segregate larger particles of rock and gold from the finer sand particles. A hose is attached to the rear wall of the housing and water under pressure mixes with the finer sand. The mixture of sand and water strikes a wall and a depending flange within the housing causing the mixture to turn over therein thus creating a suspension of particles within the liquid. The suspension falls onto the sluice and flows downwardly therealong and over the screen at the bottom thereof. A flange at the end of the sluice turns the suspension in the opposite direction where it flows down a forwardly extending second sluice. The forwardly extending second sluice has a rubber mat thereon having a series of transversely extending grooves which function to trap the gold and black sand particles therein. The screen serves to retard the flow of suspension mixture as it advances down the sluice and to remove large particles of rock, gold and silver in the suspension.

What I claim is: 
     
       1. A gold concentrator comprising: a housing for receiving sand containing gold and rock particles;   a funnel on the housing for directing sand containing large rock and gold particles into the housing;   opposed depending flanges within the housing on opposite sides of said funnel;   a first sluice extending from beneath the housing;   a screen overlying a portion of said first sluice;   a second sluice intersecting the first sluice;   a mat on the second sluice, said mat having a series of grooves therein;   a hose connected to the housing for injecting a stream of liquid therein;   said liquid stream striking said opposed depending flanges causing turbulence thereof, said turbulent stream mixing with the sand, said mixture, due to said turbulence, resulting in a suspension and separation of the particles within the liquid, said suspension gravitating downwardly onto the first sluice and over the screen at the bottom thereof then onto the second sluice whereby heavy gold particles are trapped within the grooves in the mat; and   support struts for the housing and sluices.   
     
     
       2. A gold concentrator as defined in claim 1, wherein: the housing is secured at one end of the first sluice, and comprises a top wall having a hole therein, side walls, front and rear walls, and said funnel is secured within said hole in said top wall.   
     
     
       3. A gold concentrator as defined in claim 1, wherein: the space between said walls of said housing at the end of said first sluice defines and enclosure for directing the suspension onto the first sluice.   
     
     
       4. A gold concentrator as defined in claim 1, wherein: the screen retards and serves to separate the flow of suspension because the heavier concentrates of gold particles flow more slowly thereover than the lighter particles whereby the lighter particles gravitate through said screen near the end of the first sluice in advance of the heavier particles.   
     
     
       5. A gold concentrator as defined in claim 1, wherein: the intersection of the first sluice and the second sluice defines a slot covered by a portion of said screen through which falls the lighter particles in advance of heavier particles onto the second sluice.   
     
     
       6. A gold concentrator as defined in claim 1, wherein: said mat is made of rubber and covers substantially the lower portion of said second sluice, and said grooves being of equal depth and having rounded bottoms extend from side to side and from end to end thereof.   
     
     
       7. A gold concentrator as defined in claim 1, wherein: the liquid strikes a deflector flange depending from said top wall rearward of said funnel spreading the liquid which mixes with sand deposited in the housing, said sand and liquid mixture strikes the inside of said front wall within the housing causing the sand and liquid to swirl together creating a suspension and separation of the sand particles in the liquid, said suspension of particles gravitating onto the upper surface of the first sluice for continued downward motion therealong.   
     
     
       8. A gold concentrator as defined in claim 1, wherein: said first sluice extends downwardly and rearwardly away from the housing and is pivotably attached to and within an end of said second sluice.   
     
     
       9. A gold concentrator as defined in claim 1, wherein: said second sluice is wider than and is beneath the first sluice and extends downwardly and oppositely therefrom and said first sluice adapted to collapse into said second sluice.   
     
     
       10. A gold concentrator as defined in claim 2, wherein: said first sluice has a flange at one end thereof which serves to turn the suspension flowing down the first sluice onto the second sluice, said flange slants inwardly towards the housing.   
     
     
       11. A gold concentrator as defined in claim 1, wherein: said support struts are connected to the first sluice and housing and to the second sluice such that the sluices are at an angle relative to each other and are suspended above the ground or other base.   
     
     
       12. A gold concentrator as defined in claim 11, and: said struts are hinged midway of their ends and the ends of the sluices are pivotably connected such that the first sluice and housing is collapsible into the second sluice.